The lighter a vehicle is, the better fuel efficiency it generally gets. And according to a financial analyst’s report this week, Navistar will soon be looking at new, lighter-weight materials as a way to further boost Class 8 fuel economy.

According to a report by the investment firm Zacks, Navistar has signed an agreement with TPI Composites to design and develop Class 8 trucks with lighter-weight frame rails and body panels crafted from composite materials.

The agreement comes on the heels of Navistar’s award-winning participation in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Super Truck II program, a collaborative effort between government and private industry to explore cutting-edge methods to boost fuel efficiency for Class 8 commercial vehicles.

TPI Composites is a leading company that engages in the development of composite materials based on advanced technologies and manufacturing procedures.

According to the report by Zacks, both Navistar and TPI are seeking to reduce the weight of a Class 8 tractor by approximately 30% in order to improve freight efficiency, while reducing the number of body parts required on the vehicle and extending vehicle life with the use of non-corrosive materials.

Mack Defense recently started production of five Mack Granite-based M917A3 heavy dump trucks (HDT) as part of the production vehicle testing (PVT) phase of its $296 million contract with the U.S. Army.

Ford is investing $1 billion toward the development for several of its SUVs for the 2020 model year, including the Ford Explorer, Police Interceptor Utility, and Lincoln Aviator, which will go on sale later this year.

Toyota's 2020 Tacoma will add plenty of technology upgrades even on its base model that has been popular with pest control fleets, landscapers, and tradesmen as part of a facelift for the leading midsize pickup.

Chevrolet has unveiled its 2020 Silverado HD pickups at its Flint, Mich., factory ahead of the Chicago Auto Show, where it will show its heavy-duty pickup lineup and provide a demonstration of the new towing technology added to the pickups.

The new 2020 F-Series Super Duty will include a new 7.3L V-8 gasoline engine, a third-generation 6.7L Power Stroke diesel V-8 engine, and the standard 6.2L V-8. In addition, there is an all-new 10-speed TorqShift automatic transmission available across all three Super Duty engine offerings.